Farewell, Samwise the Brave
by Daisy Brambleburr
Summary: As he sails away from Middle Earth, Frodo looks back on the Ring, Middle Earth and his journey into Mordor. But most of all he thinks of his dearest friend, Samwise. A short one-part vignette, no slash.


Authors Note: This story contains spoilers for the RotK. It also ties in slightly with another of my fics. It could be thought of as a prelude. So if you like this one you may with to take a look at 'Saying Goodbye'. The final line from this fic was taken from there, originally spoken by Pippin. But it seemed to fit, so I used it again. The sentence in single quotation marks belongs to Tolkien, as does the Lord of the Rings.   
  
Farewell, Samwise the Brave  
  
Leaving you makes my heart ache, Sam, do you know? It makes me sad to leave you like this, when you would never give up on me, not once on our long road together. For I owe it all to you. You will never know how much you mean to me. You won't accept praise from anyone, even when it's more than due. It embarrasses you, I can tell. Your are certainly a very modest hobbit. But you deserve it, all the same. The Ringbearer would have failed if it had not been for his gardener.   
  
Do you remember the time the Orcs captured me and held me prisoner in their tower? That was one of the darkest times I've known. Despair enveloped me, it wholly took me captive, just like the Orcs did. But this tower was inside of me. I thought of all that I had lost. I had failed in my quest, the Ring would soon be back in the hands of Sauron again and all the land would be covered in Shadow. I thought of our friends, I recalled distant memories of my mother and father, whom I lost when I was young. I thought of Merry and Pippin and the Shire, of Gandalf and Bilbo, of dear Aragorn and the rest of our loyal Company. I wept for them, for I thought they had perished. But most of all I thought of you. My dearest Sam, whose singing brought me from my sadness, who took me from the tower and helped me escape. I thought I was dreaming.  
  
But things got worse, didn't they? When we entered Mordor the landscape itself almost defeated us. You gave me far too much of your share of water, and of your food, but you insisted. You lived on so little, but I did not notice as I should have. It must have hurt you to see me almost taken by the Ring. You may have known how I felt, in some way. The Ring makes you feel heavy, heavy all over and you feel as if everyone in the world can somehow see you. It bears you down, like pain and hurt feelings would. And you can feel yourself depending on it so much, almost loving it, though you hate it with a passion. It eats you up from the inside, like poison. Thoughts of throwing it away or someone taking it made you shrink back in fear of loosing it. Sometimes I could hear its whispers. Inside my head, so quiet and soft, tempting and tormenting me. I could be free of hurt, it said. I could be happy again. We could go back to the Shire, and everything would be all right. And that was what I wanted most. But I resisted it. You helped me to block it out. Just you being there helped, and though sometimes it seemed as though you were far, far away, you brought me back.   
  
And we did it, didn't we? I never thought I'd see the Shire again. I couldn't remember it, not in Mordor. Fog masked my precious memories and took them away from me. But when I got back, and when Bag End was mine again, and you married Rosie, and when the Shire was green and healed, I thought I might be. But the Shire is no longer for me. I said to you, 'when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, so that others may keep them'. I have lost, but it is only a small grievance if I know that you can keep the things that you love. I will let that thought comfort me when I miss all that I have left behind.  
  
I know you will be happy with Rosie, she is a wonderful lass and she loves you very much. Your family has already begun. Elanor is a beautiful and sunny child, and I know that your group of Gamgees is destined to grow. And I know that Pippin, who confided in me the name of the lass he's like to marry someday, will have a family to rival yours. I will miss Pippin, with his clever comments and mischievous eyes. The young Took has grown into a fine young hobbit. And Merry, any lass that marries him will be cherished. I don't know who has taken his fancy, for he has always been rather more secretive. Dear Merry, I shall miss your courage and your wit and your laugh. Remember Sam, you have two great friends in these hobbits. I wish that I could see your families one day, but I know that will never be. It saddens me to think that I will miss such important times, and I'm sorry. Sometimes I wish that I could stay longer, just a year or two, to see you all accomplish and be happy.  
  
And now, as the boat sails further away from you, I stand alone and look back. On the hills of the Shire I can see three small figures, and it comforts me to know you are not alone.   
  
And maybe one day we will meet again. Do you remember what I said? "You were a Ringbearer too, if only for a little while." So there may come a day, many years from now, when the Shire does not hold as much for you as it always has done. Then maybe you will ride to the Grey Havens, and you will come to find me in your own little white boat from over the Sea. I shall hold a little hope then, deep inside of me, that one day I may yet see your face. But for now Sam, it is goodbye. The boat is further now, I can barely see you. There is just a hazy outline, a silhouette of the Shire I loved so much. May you keep it well. And may it keep you well also.  
  
It is gone now. I turn around and instead I face forward, staring out over the Sea and its foam-topped waves with misty eyes. I am glad I am here. I am glad that I am with Bilbo and Gandalf and the Elves. I feel inside that it is right. But as I think I know there is one last thing. I turn my head and look back, and speaking softly to the wind I say;  
  
"Farewell."   
  
I smile as I think of you.  
  
"Farewell, Samwise the Brave."  
  
-*- 


End file.
